By Your Side
by AnonymousARK
Summary: We all know the story of what happened to Yang after she trashed Junior's nightclub, but what about the twins that were left behind? What had been their initial reaction? How did they cope with their failure? (Cover art by Emberkyrlee.)


**So, this idea came to my mind shortly after re-watching the Yellow trailer. I had the urge to actually type this out after seeing that the Malachite twins had little to no content of their own. In wishing to let the story take up most of your attention, I shall leave you to read it. This is my first attempt at a serious oneshot.**

**DISCLAIMER: Good job, Rooster Teeth.**

* * *

"My name is Junior Xiong, manager of the best damn nightclub in Vale. Then again, maybe I'm biased. I've also got two of the best bodyguards any informant could have. You've got the assertive one: Melanie Malachite. She's the one you definately do not want to risk agitating. Then there's the quiet one: Miltiades Malachite, but she likes to be called 'Miltia'. That girl wouldn't have the courage to tell you no, but she's like a sleeping lion. Especially around her sister.

I tell you, those twins are inseparable. Miltia always follows Melanie, I mean, ALWAYS. There was this one time the three of us were walking down the beach in South Vale. I was leading, Melanie was behind me, and Miltia, behind her. But when I turned around, there were only two sets of footprints. Yeah; Miltia had been walking exactly, I mean, EXACTLY in her sister's footsteps. Like I said, she ALWAYS follows her sister."

* * *

Why, out of the billions of people on Vytal, did this have to happen to HER? She clenched her fists until her knuckles went white in silent rage, her blood feeling like boiling oil. She hated that feeling. But she deserved it, did she not? She failed to hold her own and defend the establishment they were paid to defend. It was all her fault. After her sister was dazed, fear became like a shadow always looming over her. She had lost, her speed not enough to stand against the blonde intruder that strode in and demolished the entire club without any reason.

The music was playing at a much lower volume than previously, before everything had gone to hell and came back. There were multiple henchmen carrying their friends to some sort of solitary space to wake and heal them. Surprisingly, no one had died. The blonde's shells must have been non-lethal; rubber slugs or otherwise. It was obvious she infused her aura into her shots. The twin sighed, surveying the broken glass and crackling electricity from where wires were cut and burnt, before she turned to face a door leading to one of the many hallways. She walked toward and pushed it open, then slumped down against the wall. The hallway was solid white with black paint running across the ceiling in thin, rigid lines. She pulled her knees up to her face, throwing her claws to the side in frustration. Tears welled up in ; tears she could not fight back. She buried her face in her knees, arms wrapped around her shins, and began to cry.

Her sobs wrecked through the deserted hallway, echoing to and fro. They only quieted down to hiccups and sniffles when she heard a familiar voice call out to her, "Miltia? Is that you?..." She knew that voice, along with the clicking of heels hitting marble approaching her. Another sob escaped her before she could help it. What followed was the sound of someone kneeling in front of her. "Miltia... Are you crying?" The twin clad in red looked up to find her sister before her, crouched with a shocked expression after seeing her sibling in such a state; tears and makeup pouring down her cheeks. Miltia rushed forward to embrace her sister, burying her face into her shoulder while clutching her as if she were a lifeline.

"M-Melanie..." She whimpered, more sobs escaping her. Melanie returned the embrace, fighting back tears herself. However, she was also fighting back rage. She knew her sister blamed herself for what that blonde brute had done. For the pain she inflicted. The twin clad in white knew she would shave every strand of hair from that fiery woman's head if she ever came close to her sister again, no matter the repercussions. Maybe break her jaw for good measure. She would give her life without hesitation if she knew it would save her twin.

"Miltia..."

* * *

"So, where to start... I guess with my name. I'm Melanie Malachite, twin sister of Miltiades Malachite. We met with Junior a few years ago, back when we graduated from Signal Academy. That man was like our personal coach before he hired us. I mean, I don't remember a time when he didn't have us training for something. We would hunt in the woods for days on end; finding our own shelter, our own water, our own weapons. You get the idea. Have you ever heard of 'Hell Week'? Well, this was more like 'Hell Year', after year, after year...

But, I don't mean to make it sound so bad, I mean, this is what we wanted. Junior always said that we could quit at any time, go grab some fast food and pig out in front of the TV all night, but... Miltia and I, we wanted more. Out there, we learned to guard each other, to hunt; speak without speaking. We became women. We were a team. And everytime we came out of the woods, Junior would always ask us what we learned. 'Always protect each other.' We've never forgotten. Miltia has my back, and I have hers. She's my sister."

* * *

Miltia needed this. She needed the comfort of another. Her tears and wet makeup stained Melanie's pale skin, but it mattered little to either of them. Melanie was there to show her sister that she cared. That she would look out for her. The twins sat there for what could have been an hour before the one in white noticed that her sister's sobs had died down to whimpers and sniffles. She pulled the claw-wielder away from her shoulder to come face-to-face with glossy eyes and splatters of makeup tainting pale cheeks.

"Miltia, what has you crying like this?"

"I... I failed you, Melanie. I failed as a bodyguard, AND as a sister." Melanie did not take this well, her eyes taking on a menacing glare.

"No, you did not. You displayed more courage than I've ever seen from you. You did your best and you were fantastic. We just weren't good enough..." Her eyes softened as they fell to the floor. "Next time, we'll be ready."

Miltia nodded in agreement before tilting her twin's face back up, surprising her. "Th-Thank you... for being there." Those words were all Melanie needed to pull her back into a warm embrace.

Their hold on each other lasted shorter than before, but allowed them to display their emotions and collect their thoughts. The twin clad in red was the first one to suggest going up to their room and retiring for the night. The other agreed. Melanie helped her sibling up, then walked with her, hand-in-hand after gathering her claws, to one of the few elevators the nightclub had. Luckily, the establishment was a two-parter: half club, half inn. Only special employees, sponsors, and co-owners were given actual rooms on the top floor. They were given unique cards to slide into a slot next to the elevator's buttons to give them access to push the VIP button, which stood out because of its star symbol.

Melanie was the one to put her card into the slot while her sister leaned against the wall of the elevating cage, staring at her reflection absent-mindedly, gloved arms crossed. As the machine whirred to life and rose above their previous floor, Melanie turned to face her sister, worry evident in her green eyes. Miltia had sported that look only once before. It was a memory the blade runner wanted to keep repressed for eternity, but it was too vivid.

* * *

Two adolescents, no more than 16, stood in front of each other, eyes burning with angry glares. This session had been started by a petty shouting match over who stole the other's diary and weapon. The second round soon began, but did not last long. The teen in white snapped after her skills were insulted. A resounding SLAP! echoed across the room as a hand came up and hit before the assailant could think. She instantly regretted it. Her sister's head was turned to the side, her eyes filled with something Melanie never wanted to see.

Fear.

Miltia had a terrified look in her eyes, tears glossing them over. Melanie tried to reach out, but her shy sibling flinched and ran. It was understandable. The twin in white stood in shock for a few seconds before giving chase, screaming the claw-wielder's name as they ran through the house. A few minutes later and Melanie had still not found her missing half. She was on the brink of bringing her search outside before she heard a thump in the bathroom. Cautiously, she opened the door, but found no danger. She instead found Miltia sitting in the corner, that stoic expression on her face while dried tears stained her cheeks; one of which was red due to a recent assault. At that point, all Melanie could do was crouch down and wrap her arms tightly around Miltia, apologizing profusely as she was choked by sobs. The apologies were accompanied by many "I love you"s and were soon answered. The normally delicate twin took the initiative to hug her sister back, shushing her.

"It's okay, Melanie... I love you too."

Those words meant everything to the blade runner. She would never let Miltia go for the rest of the night, so they had to fall asleep in that small corner. However, both sisters still awoke feeling comfortable and warm.

* * *

Melanie inwardly winced at the memory. She should not have lost control like that. Her temper and prideful demeanor would get her killed one day. That event had been two years ago.

After what seemed like years of silence, the machine finally let out a ding to show that it had reached its destination. Its doors opened with a rumble, followed by the footsteps of a person stepping out. "Come on, Miltia." Melanie called out to her sister. Miltia complied, stepping out of the elevator and into the corridor. The walls were riddled with paintings and photographs of tranquil places such as beaches, moonlit forests, and open oceans. The wall itself was made out of drywall and painted over with vivid mixtures of red, white, black, and yellow. The pattern in which they were painted seemed as though the colors were chasing each other through heaven. The floor was a plain gray carpet. The ceiling was bent upwards in a pentagon shape with lights suspended by a single large chain. The design of the fixtures was a simple cylinder, one high voltage lightbulb inside.

Room 343. This was it. Melanie had not understood why they were numbered so high when there were so few, but questioning Junior's system could wait until another day. Rest was so close. She slipped her card into the mechanism on the door to unlock it, then opened it and flicked the lightswitch on to reveal what was inside. Everything was in order. There was a king-sized matress neatly made up against the wall, the closet was shut with no signs of disarray, and the view from the window was fantastic; almost all of Vale was visible. The fact that it was night aided in this fact. Each light across the city looked like a star from the twins' room. Melanie was the first to break the silence after both sisters had entered and closed the door. "You should go wash up, Miltia. I'll wait here." Miltia nodded before going into the bathroom, but halting in the middle of closing the door.

"Melanie?" Familiar green eyes fell upon Miltia.

"Yes?"

"...You'll be here when I get out, right?" A smile graced Melanie's lips as she stepped foward and hugged Miltia, almost bringing the twin to tears again as she hugged back.

"Always. I promise." They broke apart after a few seconds, allowing Miltia to close the door to the bathroom. Melanie understood why her sister was worried. A few years ago, Miltia stepped out of the shower to find the entire house empty. It took hours of consoling after Melanie returned home to earn forgiveness.

Inside the bathroom, the twin clad in red undressed herself, folding up her clothes then setting them in a basket once she had finished. She put her accessories in a small box. The first thing she did after that was turn on the shower. Once she had stepped inside, she immediately felt the unbeatable sensation of lukewarm water hitting her body. She allowed the liquid to wash her body of all unclean animosities, including her makeup and tears. The claw-wielder only took seven minutes to clean herself before stepping out of the shower and grabbing a towel. Miltia stepped out of the bathroom in an array of steam, her hair glistening due to it being damp. Her red towel was wrapped around all the parts that mattered. Melanie was waiting on the matress, her accessories and bladed shoes already off. She stood up and walked to her twin, handing her black nightgown to her. "Here you are. I'll be out soon." They exchanged a quick hug before Melanie went to shower and Miltia went to change.

About ten minutes later, Melanie was out of the shower and changed into her silver nightgown while Miltia was searching the closet for something. Melanie had since gotten under the bed's blankets and turned off the light, leaving only the bedside lamp on. Miltia soon emerged from the small room with a pink teddy bear in her arms. Melanie knew by heart it was the most cherished possession Miltia had. They first found it in the forest from the debris of a plane that went down shortly before they got there. The pink teddy bear was the only thing that was somehow unharmed by the fire and metal shrapnel. The twin clad in silver opened up the blankets for her sister to climb in next to her. Melanie had not been open to the idea in her earlier years, often denying Miltia's offers with a pillow to the face. She had grown fond of it by her current age, however. The warmth of someone who cared for her curled up against her reminded her she was not alone in this crazy world.

The blade runner reached over to turn out the lamp, then cuddled Miltia close to her, leaving the teddy bear in the middle of them. Melanie had one arm draped over the claw-wielder's torso and one serving as a pillow for her head. Miltia liked burrowing her face in the gap between Melanie's neck and chest. The twin clad in black had both arms wrapped around her sister's torso.

"I love you, Melanie."

"I love you too, Miltia."

Soon after their exchanging of words, they fell asleep, comfortable in their embrace.

* * *

Months after the reconstruction of the club, customers and profits had been rolling in nicely. The twins had grown closer than ever since their defeat at the hands of the destructive blonde. They trained more fervently to be ready for bigger and badder threats. They had the scars to prove it.

In the middle of a popular night of business, the twin bodyguards sat at the bar, idly chatting and surveying the club for danger. Miltiades was the one to spot a familiar face. Excited by the thought of a reunion, she ran toward who she remembered from so long ago, leaving Melanie to call and chase after her. Who exactly did Miltia see to spark this kind of reaction from her? Only the twin in red knew. She finally reached the table where the old friend was and she was happy she did.

It was a dark-haired girl with a black bow sitting atop her head, clad in a complicated looking attire. She currently had her nose stuck in a book, but it soon betrayed her. She smelled a familiar scent. After putting her book down, she saw a teenage girl with a red and black dress on, wielding claws. Her jaw nearly dropped. "M-Miltia?" She was immediately embraced.

"Blake! I thought I'd never see you again!" The faunus slowly returned the embrace, shocked to see a familiar face in an establishment such as this.

"Miltia... I thought the same of you. Where's Melanie?" Speak of the devil...

Melanie soon caught up with her sister, a bit angry at Miltia's antics. She was about to scold her, but her words were caught in the back of her throat as Miltia moved out of the way of Blake. "Blake..." Before the bookworm could respond, two glasses clinked on the table.

"So, Blake, who are your friends?" The blonde grinned at her teammate. Melanie's eye twitched. Miltia put a hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down..." She whispered.

"Yang, these are some old friends from my childhood: Melanie and Miltiades." Blake pointed to each twin as she said their names. Yang's grin grew. It was obvious she completely forgot their earlier skirmish.

"Hi! I'm- Oof!" A heeled shoe to her jaw cut off her sentence, leaving her to stumble back a few feet. "Ow! What the hell was that for?" Melanie was calming down, her breathing slowing. Much better, she thought. Miltia stepped up beside her.

"Melanie, I think we know this girl."

"I agree, Miltia. Let's teach her a lesson." Yang gave a nervous smile.

"...I guess it's too late to kiss and make up, huh?"

* * *

**Then Yang got her ass kicked. The End. In all seriousness, I had a good time typing this. The idea that Blake used to know the Malachite twins came from the RWBY Confessions Tumblr. Someone put out the possibility that Blake grew up with Melanie and Miltiades since the From Shadows part of I Burn plays while Yang is fighting our beloved protagonists. I put in three references: one to a video game, one to a TV show, and one to a movie. Have a wonderful day.**


End file.
